Packaging liner



y 6, 1967 G. VRANA 3,319,867

PACKAGING LINER Filed June 20, 1966 INVENTOR G EORGE VRANA BWYM MW ATTORNEYS United States Patent M 3,319,867 PACKAGING LINER George Vrana, Flushing, N.Y.., assignor to Riegel Paper Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 20, 1966, Ser. No. 558,788 Claims. (Cl. 22914) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A boxlike structure, open at two sides, which is erected from a one-piece paperboard blank which includes front, bottom, rear, and side walls. The structure is adapted for use in the packaging of relatively non-rigid articles and is adapted to be overwrapped by a non-rigid, transparent, flexible film or the like.

The present invention relates to folded paperboard liners, inserts, and pads of the type which may be used to stiffen, to support and to reinforce ordinarily non-rigid materials, e.g., folded linens and like textile articles, which are to be inserted in a transparent plastic bag or which are to be otherwise overwrapped.

As an important aspect of the invention, a new and improved four walled liner is formed from a one-piece paperboard blank which is quickly erectable into its finished shape. Specifically, the new and improved packaging liner includes a bottom wall and contiguous front and rear walls which support a single short side wall. In accordance with the invention, the new liner is simply erected by infolding its opposite front and rear walls which action will cause the side wall to be automatically erected therebetween.

The erected liner is in the general shape of a rectangular box which is completely open at both its top and at one side and partially open at the other side. Thus the single side wall is of a length shorter than that of the front and rear walls from which it is supported. As an important aspect of the invention, the openings accommodate ready insertion of the goods to be packaged into the liner as well as substantial display thereof after overwrapping with a transparent bag or the like. To enhance further the display of the goods, portions of the front wall of the liner may be undercut.

In accordance with the invention, the finished liner will provide the requisite stiffening to the completed package and will provide substantial surface areas upon which descriptive matter may be printed.

For a more complete understanding of the invention and its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the new and improved liner embodying the principles of the invention is formed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a flat-folded blank from which the new liner may be erected;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the formation of the packaging liner; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the article stiffened and supported by the insert and overwrapped by a protective transparent bag.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the packaging liner of the invention is formed from a paperboard blank which is divided by a pair of horizontal cut scores 11, 12 and a vertical crease score 13 into consecutively, laterally articulated rear wall 14, bottom wall 15, and front wall 16, the side edges of which are respectively articulated to a rear reinforcing panel 17, a side wall 18 and a front rein- 3,319,867 Patented May 16, 1967 forcing panel 19. A pair of knife-crease scores 20, 21 extend divergently from the corners of the end wall 15 to the free edges of the blank 10 to define reversible triangular side wall support panels 23, 24. The score lines 20, 21 with the vertical score line 13 define included angles of 4-5 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the free edges 25 of the support panels 23, 24 and the side Wall 18 are slightly undercut with respect to the free edges 26 of the reinforcing panels so that an edge strip of adhesive 28 may be applied to the blank by an untimed straight line gluer. The horizontal edge 27 of the rear reinforcing panel 17 is slightly undercut with respect to the horizontal edge 29 of the rear wall 14.

The packaging liner of the invention is formed by folding the lefthand portions of the blank about the score line 13 into face-to-face relation with the righthand poritons, as shown in FIG. 2, and securing the front and rear reinforcing panels 17, 19 to the front and rear walls, respectively, with the adhesive strip 28, the side wall 18 and the support panels 2 3, 24 being unadhered to the underlying righthand portions. The folded blank may be conveniently shipped in this form. As shown, some portions of the front wall 16 have been removed to give it a generally triangular shape and to provide additional display of the packaged goods. The slope of the free edge 30 of the front wall is interrupted by the corner of a rectangular field 31 upon which brand designation or other matter 32 may be printed. As shown in FIG. 3, the secured portions of the front wall 16 and front reinforcing panel 19 are mirror images of one another so that the exposed edges 33 of the blank are uniform.

In use, the opposite rear and front Walls 14, 16 are folded inwardly toward one another, as shown best in FIG. 3, to erect automatically the side wall 18 by virtue of the hinging of the support panels 23, 24 about the score lines 20, 21, 11, 12, and 13. In the completely erected position, the support panels 23, 24 lie in a backto-back relationship with the reinforcing panels 17, 19 and define (with walls 14-16, 18) square corners 39.

In accordance with the invention, the insert is assembled with the corner of a normally non-rigid article, e.g., a folded sheet 34 or similar textile article, which may be of larger overall dimension than the insert, to provide the article with sufficient stiffness and handleability to facilitate its ready insertion int-o a transparent plastic film bag 38 or similar non-rigid, flexible overwrap.

To safeguard the overwrap from puncturing or tearing, the corners 35, 36, 37 of the liner are rounded, as shown.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plastic bag 38 may be fabricated from a heat-shrinkable material (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyvinylchloride films) which is subsequently heat-shrunk tightly around the liner and non-rigid article 34 by the application of heat. Thus the heat-shrunk plastic bag will tend to maintain the liner in its intended squared shape. Accordingly, it is normally unncessary to glue the support panels 23, 24 to the reinforcing panels 17, 19. However, if found desirable or necessary, those panels may be positively joined by an adhesive or any other suitable fastener.

As will be appreciated, the new and improved liner of the invention serves to expedite and facilitate the actual packaging operation; it provides an attractive and adequate field or background upon which identifying or advertising indicia may be placed; and it serves to strengthen and to stiffen an otherwise relatively non-rigid package.

It should be understood that the liner construction herein illustrated and described is intended to be repre sentative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In apackage for a relatively non-rigid article or the like adapted to be overwrapped by a non-rigid, transparent, flexible, plastic film or the like, a reinforcing liner element formed from a one-piece paperboard blank, comprising (a) consecutively articulated front, bottom, and rear walls; (b) a side wall articulated to an end edge of said bottom wall;

(c) side wall supporting and erecting means articulated to side edge portions of said front and rear walls; (d) said side wall supporting and erecting means including reinforcing panels articulated to said front and rear walls and support panels articulated to the edges of said side wall along predetermined first score lines;

(c) said support panels being articulated to said reinforcing panels along predetermined second score lines;

(f) the included angles between said first and second score lines being 45;

(g) said reinforcing panels being folded into face-toface relation with said front and rear walls;

(h) said support panels being folded into back-to-back relation with said reinforcing panels;

(i) whereby said liner defines a boxlike structure having two square corners defined by said front, bottom, rear, and sidewalls;

(j) said boxlike structure being open at its top and at the side opposite said side wall.

2. A liner in accordance with claim 1, in which (a) said rear wall is generally rectangular;

(b) said front wall is generally dissimilar to said rear wall;

(c) said reinforcing panels include portions which are substantial mirror images of one of said front and rear walls;

(d) whereby upon folding said at least one reinforcing panel into said face-to-face relation said liner has a common two-ply free edge.

3. A one-piece paperboard blank from which a packaging liner may be formed, comprising (a) an edge-to-edge vertical score line dividing said blank int-o first and second portions;

(b) a pair of parallel, edge-to-edge horizontal score lines dividing said first portions into consecutively articulated rear, bottom, and front wall panels, and dividing said second portions into consecutively articulated supplemental rear, side wall, and supplemental front panels;

(c) a pair of diverging lines of weakness extending from and dividing the right angles formed at the intersections of said horizontal and vertical score lines;

(d) said diverging lines of weakness extending to the free edge of said blank and dividing each of said supplemental front and rear panels into reinforcing and side wall support panels.

4. A folded liner blank formed from the blank of claim 3, in which (a) said second portions are folded about said vertical score line 180 into face-to-face relation with said first portions;

(b) adhesive means secure said front reinforcing panel to said front wall panel and said rear reinforcing panel to said rear wall panel.

5. A liner formed from said folded blank of claim 4, in which (a) said front and rear wall panels are folded 90 about said horizontal score lines;

(b) whereby said support panels are automatically folded into back-to-back relation with said front and rear walls and said side wall is folded 90 about said vertical score line;

(c) said front, rear, bottom, and side Walls thereby defining a boxlike structure having two square corners, an open side, and an open top.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner. 

1. IN A PACKAGE FOR A RELATIVELY NON-RIGID ARTICLE OR THE LIKE ADAPTED TO BE OVERWRAPPED BY A NON-RIGID, TRANSPARENT, FLEXIBLE, PLASTIC FILM OR THE LIKE, A REINFORCING LINER ELEMENT FORMED FROM A ONE-PIECE PAPERBOARD BLANK, COMPRISING (A) CONSECUTIVELY ARTICULATED FRONT, BOTTOM, AND REAR WALLS; (B) A SIDE WALL ARTICULATED TO AN END EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL; (C) SIDE WALL SUPPORTING AND ERECTING MEANS ARTICULATED TO SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS; (D) SAID SIDE WALL SUPPORTING AND ERECTING MEANS INCLUDING REINFORCING PANELS ARTICULATED TO SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND SUPPORT PANELS ARTICULATED TO THE EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALL ALONG PREDETERMINED FIRST SCORE LINES; (E) SAID SUPPORT PANELS BEING ARTICULATED TO SAID REINFORCING PANELS ALONG PREDETERMINED SECOND SCORE LINES; (F) THE INCLUDED ANGLES BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SCORE LINES BEING 45*; (G) SAID REINFORCING PANELS BEING FOLDED INTO FACE-TOFACE RELATION WITH SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS; (H) SAID SUPPORT PANELS BEING FOLDED INTO BACK-TO-BACK RELATION WITH SAID REINFORCING PANELS; (I) WHEREBY SAID LINER DEFINES A BOXLIKE STRUCTURE HAVING TWO SQUARE CORNERS DEFINED BY SAID FRONT, BOTTOM, REAR, AND SIDE WALLS; (J) SAID BOXLIKE STRUCTURE BEING OPEN AT ITS TOP AND AT THE SIDE OPPOSITE SAID SIDE WALL. 